Dividends4Life (26.12)

April 2014

5

Has someone near and dear to you responded with a 'I was only trying to help' after royally messing something up? Have you ever tinkered with a computer, smart phone or something else only to learn it no longer works and you are not sure how to fix it? Our dividend stock investments can suffer the same fate if we provide them with too much of the wrong type of attention. [more]

Recs

1

At some point in the future will we look back at our actions today and refer to them as our greatest missed opportunity? A successful dividend growth strategy takes time. Unfortunately, many income investors don't have the luxury of time on their side and must focus on high-yield investments to meet current expenses. These high-yield investments are often accompanied by high-risk. For those with time, a solid long-term strategy focusing on quality stocks that grow their dividends will treat them well in their retirement years. [more]

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2

After each quarter-end, I review my asset allocation and year-to-date total returns by category. The attached PDF contains my actual asset allocation as of 2014-Q1. Below is a high-level summary of the information contained in the PDF: [more]

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0

After each quarter-end, I review my asset allocation and year-to-date total returns by category. The attached PDF contains my actual asset allocation as of 2014-Q1. Below is a high-level summary of the information contained in the PDF...

2

A photograph captures a moment in time. Seconds after the flash dims a tree could have fallen on the object of the photo or the sad looking man in the photo could have been told he just won a million dollars. In much the same way a dividend stock analysis is a snapshot in time, but the real question for the savvy dividend investor is 'where is the stock headed?' [more]

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3

In a down-market when many people are rushing to buy gold, I take comfort that I already have mine. No, not that kind, but something much better! A growing stream of dividend income from solid companies. While everyone else is panicked about their portfolio’s decline, I see a downturn as an incredible buying opportunity. Lower prices, rising yields and growing dividends, its hard to beat that combination. [more]

Recs

4

The Pocket Change Portfolio (PCP) was first introduced on September 13, 2008 as a real money dividend income portfolio funded by the "pocket change" earned from my various online endeavors. Each month I report on the portfolio's progress and dividends earned. Total dividends received during the month were $1,008.48. This is an increase of $160.91 from the $847.57 received in March 2013. Below are the PCP dividends received over the last 13 months... [more]

7

The internet provides investors with so much useful and interesting information. I could not imagine going back a decade or so and trying to analyze stocks without the internet - waiting for quarterly reports to be mailed for owned companies and calling the investor relations contacts for information on unowned companies. One of my job responsibilities is the statutory reporting for the corporation I work for. Filing 10-Ks, 10-Qs and other such required reports is often tedious, but it gives me a great appreciation of what information is available, including who owns some of the top dividend stocks... In the U.S., the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires institutional investment managers who exercise investment discretion over $100 million or more in Section 13(f) securities to report their holdings on Form 13F with the SEC. Because of this required filing we can analyze the holdings of Berkshire Hathaway (Warren Buffett's holding company) or any other large institution. However, once the Form 13Fs are aggregated, we can see who the large shareholders are for any public company, including these high profile Dividend Growth Stocks:

For the above I used MSN MoneyCentral, but many other services provide the same information. Obviously, large index mutual funds, such as the Vanguard Group, Inc. and Fidelity, will hold significant positions in S&P 500 companies, and those in other indexes. Insurance companies, such as Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and State Farm, will always have large sums invested in equities. The above three popular dividend growth stocks are all held by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.A). As you can see from BRK.A's latest 13F on the SEC's website, they are also holding these other dividend growth stocks:

Buffett is a renowned value investor. As such, BRK.A's 13F is one of the most viewed each quarter when it is filed. Investors want to know what the Oracle has bought and sold. Many websites use this information to set up a Buffett Tracking Portfolio, along with other respected investors. There is a great deal of information freely available to investors. Sometimes we just need to detour from our familiar paths to discover it.

3

Once again it is time for a goals/progress update. I am pleased to report that annualized dividend income increased in March, extending the streak to 45 consecutive months of increases after June 2010's decline. Since I began publicly tracking annualized dividend income in November 2007, it has increased in 74 of the last 76 months. My goals were defined in this December 1, 2007 Investing Goals post and last updated in my 2014 Investing Goals post. Below is an updated version of the table found in the original post... [more]

3

Most every investor has a benchmark they are trying to beat. For many investors, that benchmark is the S&P 500. It is easily followed and can be directly invested in via many different index funds such as SPDR S&P 500 (SPY) and Vanguard 500 Index Inv (VFINX). [more]

Recs

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A vision is taking the time to contemplate and anticipate, in detail, what the future will bring. A financial vision needs to consider future earnings, savings and economic issues such as inflation. Then based on your vision, you formulate an action plan to ensure the best possible outcome given your unique circumstances. You can’t have a retirement plan until you have a retirement vision. It would seem to me that there are a lot or retirement plans out there but very few retirement visions. [more]

3

Linked here is a detailed quantitative analysis of United Technologies Corp. (UTX). Below are some highlights from the above linked analysis:

Company Description: United Technologies Corp. is an aerospace-industrial conglomerate with a portfolio that includes Pratt & Whitney jet engines, Sikorsky helicopters, Otis elevators, and Carrier air conditioners, among other products. In July 2012, UTX purchased aerospace competitor Goodrich. [more]

4

A successful dividend growth investor must start young enough to allow time for dividend growth to occur. What happens when a person waits too late in life to start investing and they need immediate income? Many times the person will invest in high-yield, high-risk stocks and lose their savings. If income is needed immediately and you want to mitigate the risk (to a degree), there are some things that can be done, such as... [more]